Thomas Brents Horne

THOMAS BRENTS HORNE WAS BORN ON OCTOBER 12, 1929, IN SHERMAN, TEXAS. HE WAS THE FIRST-BORN CHILD OF BRENTS

NORRIS HORNE AND OLETA LOUISE AKERS HORNE. HE WAS AN ACTIVE CHILD, PREFERRING TO SPEND HIS TIME OUTSIDE

COLLECTING NATURAL TREASURES SUCH AS STONES, SNAILS, AND FROGS; THE LATTER HE WOULD USE TO TORMENT HIS

YOUNGER SISTER OF TWO YEARS, MY AUNT SARA ANN. IN CHILDHOOD PHOTOS HE ALWAYS APPEARED NEATLY DRESSED

AND WELL-MANICURED WITH A TWINKLE IN HIS EYE, AS IF HE WERE PLANNING SOME ACT OF MISCHIEF. MY GRAN

ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS ALWAYS A STRUGGLE TO KEEP HIM CLEAN, AS HE SQUIRMED AND STRUGGLED WHEN HAVING HIS

FACE WASHED AND HAIR BRUSHED.

THOUGH NOT A PARTICULARLY STUDIOUS YOUNG MAN, DADDY WAS SMART, AND SCHOOL CAME EASY TO HIM WITH HISTORY

AND SCIENCE BEING HIS FAVORITE SUBJECTS. HE EXCELLED IN SPORTS, WITH A KEEN INTEREST IN TENNIS AND FOOTBALL AND

WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED SWIMMER. WHAT MANY PEOPLE DIDN’T KNOW, THOUGH, WAS THAT HE PLAYED THE TUBA IN THE

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL BAND. HE ATTENDED THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH REGULARLY WITH HIS FAMILY AND PLAYED FOR THE

SHERMAN BEARCAT FOOTBALL TEAM.

UPON GRADUATION FROM SHERMAN HIGH SCHOOL, DADDY ATTENDED AUSTIN COLLEGE, WHERE HE WAS ADMITTED AS A

PRE-MED STUDENT. UNABLE TO PLAY FOOTBALL AFTER A SIDELINING KNEE INJURY IN HIGH SCHOOL, DADDY BECAME THE

AUSTIN COLLEGE KANGAROO FOOTBALL TEAM MANAGER. ONE OF HIS DUTIES WAS TO CARE FOR THE OFFICIAL TEAM MASCOT,

“KATY, THE FIGHTING KANGAROO”. LUCKILY FOR GRAN, KATY WAS ACTUALLY A SOMEWHAT DOCILE WALLABY, A MUCH

SMALLER VERSION OF A KANGAROO, SINCE SHE LIVED AT HOME WITH THE FAMILY FOR DADDY’S FOUR YEARS AT AUSTIN

COLLEGE. SOMEWHERE IN HIS COLLEGE CAREER, DADDY REALIZED HIS REAL PASSION WAS FOR FOOTBALL AND HIS

NATURAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS WERE STIRRING. AFTER HIS PRE-MED BACHELOR’S DEGREE, HE EARNED A MASTER’S IN

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION.

DADDY’S FIRST JOB WAS TEACHING 7TH-GRADE SCIENCE AND COACHING FOOTBALL IN MIDLAND - WHERE FOOTBALL DOESN’T

GET ANY BIGGER IN TEXAS. ALTHOUGH HIS COACHING CAREER ONLY LASTED A FEW YEARS, GIVING WAY TO FAMILY LIFE IN

THE CITY, HIS PASSION FOR FOOTBALL NEVER DIED. AT THE AGE OF 93, IT WAS RARE FOR HIM TO MISS A COWBOY GAME ON

TV. HE MOVED BACK TO THE DALLAS AREA TO WORK IN PHARMACEUTICAL SALES FOR A.H. ROBBINS, NOW KNOWN AS

PFIZER DRUG CORPORATION, WHERE HE HAD A SUCCESSFUL CAREER SPANNING 30 YEARS. HE RECENTLY TOLD ME THAT HE

JUST COULD NOT PASS UP THE LURE OF AN EXPENSE ACCOUNT AND A COMPANY-SUPPLIED, AIR-CONDITIONED CAR. NOT ONLY

WAS HE AN OUTSTANDING SALESMAN, HE MENTORED MANY MEN AND WOMEN COMING UP UNDER HIM, PROVIDING LEADERSHIP

AND DIRECTION, GUIDING THEIR CAREERS.

DADDY WORKED HARD AND LOVED TO VACATION. HE WOULD TAKE TRIPS AS A CHILD WITH HIS FAMILY COLLECTING SMALL

MEMORABILIA FROM EVERYWHERE HE TRAVELED AS A BOY. COLORADO WAS A FAMILY FAVORITE DESTINATION, AS WELL

AS GALVESTON. AS WE WERE GROWING UP, DADDY WOULD TAKE US TO COLORADO, ALSO; BACK TO VISIT THE

DESTINATIONS OF HIS CHILDHOOD. OFTEN GRAN AND GRANDAD (HIS PARENTS) WOULD ACCOMPANY US. FOR A

WHILE, WE HAD A CABIN CRUISER AND WENT ON LAKE EXPEDITIONS, AS DADDY HAD A LOVE OF THE WATER. THIS

EXPANDED INTO A PROPERTY AT LAKE TAWAKONI, WHICH WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY OUR COLORADO MOUNTAIN CABIN.

PROBABLY THE CLOSEST, LONGEST ENDURING, AND MOST VISITED OF THE GETAWAYS WAS THE BLUE RIDGE, TEXAS

FARM. THERE, WE LEARNED ABOUT HARD WORK, THE NATURAL CYCLES OF LIFE, HOW TO PLANT AND HARVEST, HOW TO LIVE

WITHOUT HEAT, AIR CONDITIONING, TELEPHONES, T.V., HOW TO HAVE AN IMAGINATION, AND HOW TO BE A FAMILY.

DADDY DIED VERY PEACEFULLY AT THE AGE OF 93, AFTER HAVING LIVED LONGER THAN ANY MEMBER OF HIS FAMILY. HE

WILL LIVE ON THROUGH THE LIVES OF HIS CHILDREN, WHOM HE HELPED SHAPE: HARRIET, WHO INHERITED HIS LOVE OF

SCIENCE, BRENTS, THE TRAVELER, BETSY, THE EDUCATIONAL LEADER, BRAD, WITH HIS BUSINESS INGENUITY AND GREG,

WITH A CALLING TO AGRICULTURE. HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY 11 GRANDCHILDREN AND 8 GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH US IN THIS CELEBRATION OF DADDY’S LIFE.

THERE WILL BE A MEMORIAL SERVICE TO CELEBRATE THOMAS' LIFE AT 2:00 P.M., THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023, AT ALLEN FAMILY

FUNERAL OPTIONS.